1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a double locking connector to prevent terminals from falling out of a connector housing by double engagement.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 14 to 17 show an embodiment of a conventional double locking connector (see Japanese Patent Application No. H09-251874 (FIGS. 2 to 4)).
A double locking connector 61 includes: a synthetic-resin-made connector housing 62; a synthetic-resin-made front holder 64; a terminal 65 having an electric wire. The front holder 64 is to be inserted into the connector housing 62 through a front opening of a connector engaging chamber 63. The terminal 65 is to be inserted into the connector housing 62 from a rear thereof while the front holder 64 is temporarily locked with the connector housing 62.
As shown in FIG. 15, the terminal 65 is inserted into a terminal-receiving chamber of the connector housing 62, and a resilient locking lance 66 in the connector housing 62 locks the terminal 65 simultaneously. Then, as shown in FIG. 16, after the front holder 6 is pushed backward, a double locking plate 67 penetrates into a flexible room of the locking lance 66 to prevent the locking lance 66 to move, namely, to be double locking. Simultaneously, the front holder 64 is regularly locked with the connector housing 62. FIG. 15 shows the front temporarily locked holder 64. FIGS. 14 and 16 show the regularly locked front holder 64.
As shown in FIG. 14, the front holder 64 includes: a resilient locking arm 69 on a top of a frame 68; and a pair of operational members 70 on both left and right sides of the frame 68. The operational members 70 are slidable back and force in a flat groove 71 formed on a sidewall of the connector housing 62.
As shown in FIG. 15, the front holder 64 is temporarily locked in a state that a projection 72 of the resilient locking arm 69 is in front of a projection 73 of a top wall of the connector housing 62. When the operational members 70 are pulled backward from the temporary locking state, the projection 72 is carried over the projection 73 and the front holder 64 is regularly locked to be prevented from falling out forward. Pushing the operational members 70 forward shifts the front holder 64 from the temporary locking state to the regular locking state. For operating the operational members 70, one of two hands holds the connector housing 62, and a thumb and a forefinger of the other hand hold and pull backward or push forward the operational members 70.
The number of the double locking plates 67 agrees with the number of the terminal receiving chambers, and a plurality of the double locking plates 67 project horizontally backward from a bottom part and a middle part of the frame 68. The connector housing 62 includes terminal chambers in two steps up and down. The locking lances 66 project forward from rear parts of a bottom and a middle wall of the connector housing 62. The terminal 65 is a male terminal. A tabular contact 65a of the terminal 65 projects into the connector engaging chamber 63 through a hole of a front wall of a terminal receiving part 74 of the connector housing 62. At the temporary locking state, the double locking plate 67 is inserted into the terminal receiving part 74 from a lower opening of the hole. At the regular locking state, the frame 68 of the front holder 64 is engaged along the front wall of the connector housing 62. The connector-engaging chamber 63 is formed inside a hood 75. The hood 75 integrally extends to the terminal receiving part 74. A room for receiving a resilient locking arm of a mating connector (not shown) and a projection for engaging with the locking arm are formed at an upper side of the hood 75. Openings for inserting the operational members 70 are formed at left and right sides of a rear wall of the hood 75. The openings communicate with the connector-engaging chamber 63.
FIG. 17 shows another embodiment of the conventional double locking connector (see Japanese Patent Application No. H09-251874 (FIGS. 2 to 4)). A locking projection 80 as a temporary locking member and a locking projection 81 as a regular locking member are formed on operational members 79 at left and right sides of a front folder 77 (double locking member) of a double locking connector 76.
The operational members 79 are horizontally long frames. The projections 80, 81 are respectively formed on upper and lower side frames of the operational members 79. Projections 82, 83 corresponding respectively to the temporary and regular locking projections 80, 81 are formed on grooves on sidewalls of a connector housing 78. The operational members 79 projects from a front frame 84 in the same direction as double locking plates 85.
A sub wire harness is composed of such double locking connectors 61, 76, a plurality of electric wires, terminals, and other connectors. A wire harness is composed of a plurality of sub wire harnesses.
However, in such conventional double locking connectors, for example, when producing the wire harnesses or mounting the wire harnesses on a vehicle, electric wires may be caught in the operational members 70, 79 of the front holder 64, 77 and the operational members 70, 79 may be strongly bent outward to be deformed or damaged. Further, when pressing strongly to pry the operational members 70, 79 by fingers for treating the front holders 74, 77, the operational members 70, 79 may fall out of grooves of the connector housing 62, 78 and similarly be deformed, damaged, or at least reduced operability.
According to the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a double locking connector that prevents operational members thereof from being deformed and damaged even when the members are caught or pried, and allows the members to be shifted smoothly and surely.